DataBus - Vol 40 No. 4: June-July, 2000
|
CDE's Volunteer E-rate Trainer (VET) Collaborative
Question: When you are dog-tired of E-rate and CTF and need help in the form of quality training, where do you go? Answer: You may soon benefit from a VET (Volunteer E-rate Trainer). The California Department of Education's Education Technology Office has recently selected four vendors (Cisco, GTE, EdMin.com, and Spectrum Communications) to join with representatives from the Department of General Services (DGS) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in designing and delivering E-rate and CTF (California Teleconnect Fund) training. This all-volunteer effort is aimed at producing vendor-neutral, accurate training materials presented in strategic training sessions statewide in the late summer and into the fall. One usually learns about E-rate and CTF through trial-and-error or by reading listservs, being familiar with key web sites, even attending training offered by various entities (the federal SLD, the CDE, county offices of education, or vendors/consultants). The VET collaborative attempts to combine varying perspectives and knowledge bases into one commonly agreed upon set of training documents, delivered through a schedule of seminars around the state using VET trainers and others recognized for their successful experiences with E-rate and CTF. By involving vendors and other key public agencies, it is hoped that specialized materials and sessions will be offered, addressing the needs of beginner to veteran. For further details, see (http://www.cde.ca.gov/vet/) or contact Van Wilkinson, (916) 323-4709 .
Van Wilkinson is with the California Department of Education Educational Technology Office. He may be reached at (916) 323-4709 or by e-mail at
|
CEDPA